After The Match 

            


BOLTON-LIVERPOOL 2-2 (1-0)              Saturday Feb 7.      Premier League
Goals: Hyypia (51), Gerrard (69       Hunt (10), Djorkaeff (57)
Team: Dudek, Finnan, Henchoz, Hyypia, Carragher, Hamann, Gerrard, Le Tallec, Cheyrou, Kewell, Owen
Subs: Pongolle (Cheyrou 65), Murphy (Le Tallec)
Not used: Luzi, Biscan, Riise
Yellow: Finnan (13), Kewell (88)
Davies (37), Campo (78), Thome (85)
Red: None
Referee: Alan Wiley
Attendance:

                                                             FIXTURES & RESULTS 
TEAM STATS
Shots on target: 6-6
Shots off target: 6-5
Fouls conceded: 15-15
Corners: 3-5
Yellow: 3-2
Red:

 

 

0-0

HEADLINES

"Steven is a
great captain -
he leads by example."

                   Gerard Houllier

0902: Carragher: Let's follow Gerrard's lead
0702: Houllier puts faith in key duo
0702: Allardyce proud of players
0702: Gerrard rescues point for Reds

FEBRUARY 9
Carragher: Let's follow Gerrard's lead

TEAMtalk

Jamie Carragher has vowed to match the work ethic and skill level of Steven Gerrard and called on his colleagues at Anfield to do the same.

Skipper Gerrard scored the equaliser against Bolton in an outstanding display during Saturday's 2-2 draw - and he also made the first goal for Sami Hyypia.

Liverpool had been quiet in the first half but under Gerrard's leadership hauled themselves back into the game in the second period.

Carragher said: "The captain sets the standards for the club, on and off the pitch and I think Stevie is certainly doing that.

"His performances have shown he's relishing the captain's role and its up to the rest of us to match that level. If we were doing that we would be a lot higher up the table than we are.

"The way Stevie plays he always pops up all over the park. He's got a lot of energy and since Didi [Hamman] has come back into the team he's enjoyed getting forward a lot more.

"He can cover every blade of grass and one of his strengths is he has the energy to do that.

"He was excellent again at Bolton, especially in the second half.

"That's the kind of performance you look for from your captain, driving the team forward from central midfield."


FEBRUARY 7
Houllier puts faith in key duo

Sky Sports

Gerard Houllier hailed his captain Steven Gerrard after the midfielder's influential display in the 2-2 draw at Bolton Wanderers.

Gerrard scored one and created another at The Reebok Stadium to leave his manager purring with delight at his skipper's performance.

Houllier also lent his support to Michael Owen, after the striker spurned a glorious chance to hand The Reds all three points late on.

Owen has not scored since October, although injuries have restricted him to just nine appearances in the ensuing period.

Reds boss Houllier is confident Owen only needs one goal to reignite his season and retains the utmost faith in his attacking talisman.

"You are always relying on your star players," said Houllier.

"Steven is a great captain - he leads by example. He looked a bit down at half time but he responded right away.

"It would have been great if he (Owen) had been able to score the winner here but he was stretching.

"He is there now with his fitness. But he needs a goal, and the goal will come.

"I have total faith in him, and he works very hard for the team as well."

Houllier admitted his day was tinged with frustration at his team's inability to take their opportunities and return to Merseyside with all three points.

He added: "When you look at the number of chances we created here we should have scored more goals.

"Instead, we found ourselves 1-0 down. But credit to the players, they responded well in the second half, and we equalised.

"Then they scored a second goal, which should not have been. The throw was our throw. I don't know how the linesman missed that one.

"Fortunately we drew level. This is a difficult place to come. They are a good side with a lot of character.

"I am happy with the performance but disappointed with the result."


FEBRUARY 7
Allardyce proud of players

Sky Sports

Sam Allardyce was bursting with pride after his Bolton Wanderers team claimed a merited 2-2 draw with Liverpool.

The Trotters manager was delighted his players had matched their more illustrious opponents in every department.

The point keeps Bolton in the top half of the table and only four points off a UEFA Champions League berth.

Allardyce was in buoyant mood after the stalemate and admits his players proved their worth against Liverpool.

"We've come out with a very valuable point against a team like Liverpool which has its best players back," he said.

"Our players deserve every bit of credit they get for matching a team of that quality.

"They have done this club proud, and there was some top-quality entertainment for the fans.

"We have matched Liverpool for fitness; we have matched them for technique; we have matched them for determination and we have matched them for quality in front of goal."


FEBRUARY 7
Gerrard rescues point for Reds

Sky Sports

Liverpool dropped more points in their pursuit of a Champions League place after they were held to a 2-2 draw by Bolton in an entertaining clash at the Reebok Stadium.

Steven Gerrard rescued a point for Gerard Houllier's men with a second half goal after Youri Djorkaeff's goal had looked like securing Bolton's fourth Premiership win on the trot.

Owen missed a glorious chance to give Liverpool the lead after just three minutes when he got on the end of Gerrard's inviting free kick, but he could only flick his header straight at Jussi Jaaskelainen

Bolton broke the deadlock on 11 minutes with their first noteworthy attack of the game when the ball broke loose to Hunt on the edge of the box and he fired his left-footed shot past a crowd of players into the bottom corner for his first senior goal.

A minute later Hunt came to Bolton's rescue when he brilliantly blocked Kewell's goalbound shot and when the ball came back to Jamie Carragher the defender saw his shot screw just wide of the target.

Henrik Pedersen really should have doubled the home side's lead on 18 minutes when he found himself unmarked in the box from Hunt's fine through ball, but the Danish striker blazed his shot over the crossbar.

Hunt was getting forward as often as he could from right back and he almost grabbed a second goal on 26 minutes when he swapped passes with Per Frandsen, but Dudek was on hand to keep out his shot.

Liverpool should have levelled matters two minutes later when Gerrard superbly sent Kewell scampering clear on goal, but with only Jaaskelainen to beat he delayed his shot allowing the Finn to block the ball for a corner.

Carragher had Jaaskelainen scrambling across his goal on 36 minutes with a powerful shot from the edge of the area, but unluckily for the Liverpool defender his drive fizzed just inches wide of the post.

Liverpool pushed forward in the dying moments of the first half and Gerrard poked a shot straight at Jaaskelainen before Anthony Le Tallec volleyed into the ground and over the crossbar when well placed.

The visitors came out in determined fashion in the second half and drew level on 51 minutes when Hyypia rose highest to power home Gerrard's free kick into the net for his second goal of the season both ironically against Bolton.

Parity was short-lived for Liverpool as Bolton restored their lead eight minutes later with Kevin Davies crossing Nolan's long ball back across the face of goal for Djorkaeff to fire home from six yards.

Liverpool fought-back for a second time with substitute Le Tallec picked out Gerrard inside the box with a fine pass and the Liverpool captain superbly volleyed his shot across Jaaskelainen and into the net.

The visitors came close to taking the lead for the first time seven minutes from time when Gerrard ran through onto Kewell's clever pass and crossed for Owen to poke home into an unguarded net, but Bolton got enough numbers back to deflect the striker's goalbound shot.

Bruno N'Gotty had a great chance to win the game in the final minute when he rose to meet Djorkaeff's free kick unmarked, but the Frenchman got his header all wrong nodding it wide of the target.

Davies almost won it for the home side when he raced clear and fired a shot which Dudek was at full stretch to tip over.


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Thor Zakariassen ©